Odisha govt to spend Rs 75,000 crore in five years for development of water resources

BHUBANESWAR: After drawing flak from more than a few quarters over poor river management, the state executive on Thursday said it will spend over Rs 75,000 crore for development of water resource within the subsequent 5 years. Several dam tasks could be taken up on Mahanadi basin, its tributaries and different primary rivers to ensure irrigation and ingesting water for other people, said an legit source.

According to a statement issued by means of the chief minister’s place of work, chief minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the state water resources department to arrange a complete river policy in subsequent three months with attainable puts where water resources tasks may also be advanced.

The announcement got here a day after launching protest towards the Chhattisgarh for obstructing glide of Mahanadi water into Odisha by means of establishing barrages at the upstream. During his consult with to Jharsuguda on Wednesday, Naveen reviewed irrigation and ingesting water tasks in 4 districts—Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh--in presence of senior state executive officials and district creditors.

Though the state executive is but to show detail river management plan, assets said over Rs 400 crore could be spent in subsequent three years for modernization of Bargarh Main Canal and Sasan canal because it develops widespread breaches developing panic among farmers in Bargarh and Sambalpur districts. The canal system was advanced during 1950s during construction of Hirakud reservoir.

According to assets, the chief minister has directed the water resources department to expedite implementation of the Ong irrigation project close to Padampur sub-division in Bargarh district, proposed way back in 1945 with a brand new design to steer clear of submergence. Over 2,000 crore could be spent within the project, which at its current design would submerge around 30000 villagers. Villagers, who concern to be displaced due to the project, not too long ago prompt President Ram Nath Kovind to either direct the project to be deferred or give them permission for euthanasia.

“Though a number of primary and medium irrigation tasks have been proposed by means of successive governments since previous a number of decades, these types of tasks may now not be taken off due to problems like land acquisition, displacement and rehabilitation. The chief minister has directed to search for puts to take in barrages over Mahanadi and its tributaries and distributaries which would cause minimum displacement. We would quickly start survey for attainable puts,” said an legit within the water resources department inquiring for anonymity.

Recently, water resources secretary P Ok Jena introduced to execute seven tasks over Mahanadi to ensure irrigation and ingesting water. Besides, as many as 22 different tasks, that are beneath more than a few phases of implementation on more than a few rivers, are focused to finish in subsequent 5 years. These tasks come with Tel integrated irrigation project in Nabrangpur district, Kharga (Kandhamal), Salki (Kandhamal and Boudh), Ret Utei (Kalahandi), Lower Lanth and Upper Lanth in Balangir district but even so Ong, Jira and Ranjore tasks in Bargarh district.

The chief minister also instructed to start out mushy process of the Gangadhar Meher Megalift Canal System in three months. The first of its type project deliberate with an investment of Rs 1250 crore would ensure irrigation in about 25,000 hectares in drought-prone lands in Bijepur, Sohela and Barpali blocks in Bargarh district.

Water conservation activist Ranjan Kumar Panda said more than construction-oriented actions, the state executive must focal point extra on recharging and rejuvenation of water our bodies, natural streams to conserve water.